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Built on the banks of the Sabarmati river on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, the Sardar Patel Stadium is an imposing structure which can accommodate about 54,000 spectators. The stadium was built on a 50-acre land donated by the state government, and took only nine months for its completion. It was renovated ahead of the Champions Trophy in 2006, when three new pitches and a new outfield were laid, and state of the art floodlights and covered stands were added.

Also known as the Motera, after the place where it is located, the venue hosted its first Test in November 1983 and has been witness to some memorable Indian feats - Sunil Gavaskar got to his 10,000 Test runs here, against Pakistan in 1986-87, and seven years later, Kapil Dev nailed his 432nd victim to go past Richard Hadlee as Test cricket's leading wicket-taker. The pitch here used to aid bowlers - three of the first four Tests produced results - but the track started playing slow and low, aiding neither the bowlers nor the strokeplayers. As a result, draws became the norm for a while, till the South Africans rolled India over for 76 in the first morning of the 2008 Test and finished the game in three days.
Cricinfo staff

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